Regarding
personal and family readiness, the ideal time to contact the Airmen
& Family Readiness Center is when the military member is placed on
mobility status. Contact is essential when the member is
notified of TDY, deployment, or remote duty assignment that will
geographically separate the member from family for a period of fourteen
days or more. The Airmen & Family Readiness Center will
provide you with a readiness briefing tailored to fit your
needs. The briefing will address key issues that may arise
during the separation. We can offer assistance or referral
for these and other topics of concern:
-- Planning finances
-- Handling emergencies
-- Family care plans
-- Childcare planning
-- Finding employment
-- Dealing with stress
While you are apart, the Airmen & Family Readiness Center is your
link to a variety of services offered through the Hearts Apart program
and other base and local agencies. Spouses and family
members qualify for many of these services. Some of the most
common include:
-- Hearts Apart Morale Calls: offers families the
opportunity to utilize local switchboards to place calls to the service
member.
-- Video E-mail: allows families to record still photographs
or up to two minutes of video to attach as an e-mail for the service
member to view.
-- Give Parents A Break: gives parents a well deserved break by offering free childcare once a month.
-- Phone Cards: provided to service members prior to departure for use during family separation.
-- Videophone Links: these thirty-minute phone calls allow
families to see each other in real time during their conversations.
The reunion can be the best time after being away from your family, but
can also be the most challenging. Your Airmen & Family
Readiness Center has resources and information available to help
members and their families prepare for their
homecoming. These are some reunion issues to consider:
-- Start planning early. Decide together what kind of
homecoming you want; a big celebration or a small family get-together.
-- Keep the communication going throughout your separation and share what you are doing, feeling and hoping.
-- Openness will encourage fewer disappointments during reunion.
-- Read letters you have received over again as the reunion draws
nearer. It's one way of starting to grow closer again.
-- Readjusting and reestablishing relationships will take time for
everyone. The length of time it takes may vary between
individuals in your family.
Are you prepared? Has the military member:
-- Created and/or updated their will
-- Initiated a power of attorney
-- Safely stored important documents and told someone of the location
-- Arranged for bills & taxes to be paid
-- Updated their Emergency Data Information
-- Ensured vehicle registration, insurance, and inspection sticker are current through projected return date
-- Updated AF Form 357 (Dependent Care Certification)
-- Provided spouse or family member with the phone number to the unit orderly room
-- Ensured someone is familiar with the Hearts Apart program